Page 12 of Romancing His Heart

“What is it, Loki?” Emory asks kindly while giving both our guests a scowl.

“When I got here, did I, I mean, did I hurt her?” I ask, nodding toward Red. My palms are suddenly sweaty at the thought of hurting Sloane. “I never would have harmed her intentionally. Perhaps she isn’t the right one to stay with me?”

I hear Red scoff from the doorway, but I’m deadly serious about this. At least I have trained with Seth for combat, and he would stand a chance if I attacked him. I’ve never experienced PTSD, but I’ve seen it in enough of my men to know I’m not immune. My gaze shifts back to Red, and she narrows her eyes on me.

“Preston,” Dr. Camden begins, “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Ash and Sloane. Loki deserves his privacy during his check-ups. You need to wait in the family room. Now.”

Preston, the ever-present asshole that he is, ignores her and strides confidently into the room. His gaze softens when it lands on Dr. Camden, then he leans in and grasps her face. That’s when I notice the wedding band on his finger, and I’m hit with another thought.Preston almost died, and he married his doctor.

I glance away from the very graphic display to find Red staring at me with arms crossed and a tilt to her lip.Can she read my mind?Because I swear, she knows I just remembered something. Then she goes and does it again. She gives me the slightest nod, and I know it’s true. Well, maybe not the mind-reading, but she is excellent at reading people. I’m brought back to the moment by Preston’s cheerful voice.

“Nice try, Loki. Sloane is stronger than she realizes, and no, you didn’t hurt her. Scared the shit out of her, maybe, but you didn’t hurt her. Plus,” he leans down and whispers, “when she’s down here with you, she isn’t cockblocking me upstairs.”

“I do not cockblock you.” Red glares from the doorway. Preston gives her an incredulous look, and she folds. “Fine, but I don’t mean to,” she says sullenly, and I know I have missed something in this conversation.

“Sloane doesn’t like to sleep alone. Before you got home, she was finding her way up to our place more nights than not,” Preston informs me, but not in the dickhead way I would have expected from him. His words are full of concern, and I’m reminded of just how much I have missed while I’ve been away.

“That’s it. Everyone out. Now,” Emory demands, taking control of the room.

Peering up at Preston, I find him staring at her adoringly. It’s the way his dad used to look at his mom, and I clutch my chest. Knowing Red is taking in my every move, I quickly splay my hand and pretend to be brushing down my nonexistent shirt.

“I’m happy for you, Preston. Truly. I’m sorry I—”

Preston cuts me off, “We have plenty of time for that conversation later when everyone’s here and you’re feeling better. But mark my words, we will all be taking turns kicking your ass.”

I don’t have time to answer because Emory is ushering everyone out. Once we are alone, she finishes her exam but leaves no doubt how serious she is about Sloane babysitting me.

And just like that, I’m twelve years old again with a crush on the hot as fuck nanny.

Chapter 4

Sloane

It’s been a week since Loki woke up. As he recovers, he’s been able to stay awake longer during the day, but it’s making him more restless. Stifling a yawn, I pace the kitchen, waiting for Emory to give me new instructions.

Every time she leaves, she hands me a new piece of paper with every last detail written down. God forbid she just tells me. But then again, I’ve never given my family any reason to trust that I’m capable of very much. I seem to live down to their expectations at every turn.

“Okay, he’s all set. I removed the catheter, so he’ll be able to move around more now.”

Great, thanks, Emory. Now I’m picturing his junk.

“Is he big, like down there?”

“You did not just ask me if a patient’s penis was big?” she scolds.

“No, of course not. I asked if our friend Loki had a big dick.”

My sister is not a prude, but she still coughs to hide her embarrassment.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” I smirk.

“Listen, I have to get upstairs. Loki is doing really well, but he’ll still need help getting around. His dizzy spells are better, but you should always walk next to him just to be safe. Otherwise, he should continue to rest for a bit longer, so keep bringing his meals to the bedroom.” She pauses to take a long, unnerving look at me. “You know, you’re a great nurse, Sloane. I’m proud of you.”

“Because you didn’t think I could take care of myself, let alone anyone else?” I sound bitter, then feel like shit. Emory is one of the few people in my life that believes in me. It’s not fair to take my issues out on her.

Pausing at the door, she regards me cautiously. “The only one who has ever doubted you is you, Sloane.”

Unable to make eye contact, I hold up her instructions for Loki. “I’ll call if he needs anything.”